Portugal: Port Wine and Phenomenal Hiking

Portugal may be known for its decadent port wines, but head out on the trails and you’ll discover a fantastic world of adventure. One of our staff members joined our Hiker’s Journey to Portugal in September 2018, and came back with tales from the trail (and of course some bottles of delicious wine). Take a look at some of her favorite photos from the trip!Portugal is truly a delight for the senses—from its quaint, picturesque villages that seem to be frozen in time to the hauntingly beautiful sounds of its fado music, to the taste of its delightful wine and regional dishes. My adventure in this wondrous land was an amazing experience. I learned more about Portugal’s culture and history, and explored its diverse and alluring landscape with a wonderful group of travelers.On our first day, we hiked along forested trails that ended near this stream with a swing. Some of the group even took a refreshing dip.Here is our group in Lousã, one of the Portugal’s mountain towns that was the perfect base to explore Serra da Lousã mountains. The trails brought us through enchanting forests, down into valleys, and to wonderful lookouts over postcard-perfect towns. Luke and I with the village of Manteigas (“Butter” in English) in the background.
Enjoying the view of the Douro river from the Quinta do Crasto winery. Our group had a wine tasting here and we had time to explore the vineyards.View of the spectacular Douro valley vineyards. This valley is famous for its red wines, but Quinta do Crasto winery also grows and harvests different types of white grapes that are indigenous to Portugal. And they are delicious!The peaceful, meandering Douro river.Different espigueiros, or granaries, we passed along the pilgrim route to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Peneda. They look like little cathedrals, but are used to dry grain.Cobblestone path en route from Soajo to Peneda.During our hike to the Sanctuary of our Lady of Peneda, we were rewarded with sweeping views of the town of Soajo.We made it! View of the Sanctuary of our Lady of Peneda. This is one of the stops on an important pilgrim route that is used to this day.One evening, we stayed at Paco de Calheiros, a 17th century palace, and savored another wonderful wine tasting. The view could not be beat. Right from the count’s estate in Ponte de Lima. We even met the Count of Calheiros himself!Our local guide showing us around the town of Ponte de Lima. All of our local guides and our Trip Leaders really brought the spirit of the place to life. A trip to Portugal would not be complete without a visit to a port winery. Our final days were spent in Porto, where we toured of Graham’s Port Lodge wine cellar… …and enjoyed (another) wine tasting. Vintage, tawny, and ruby port. Oh my!—Text by WT staff Rebecca Streicker-Calle; photos by Rebecca, Luke Curley, and Charmane Sia; Hiker’s Journey to Portugal.

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